Nap Time Rocks!

Customize it

Now how come we don’t have customizable plans for landlines, cable tv and internet here? I’ve come across this service provider (in the US though) called Charter that offer customizable packages for all three which makes it easy to save a lot and just get what service you need. Maybe we do have it but I’m just not aware?

I’m having a bit of a dilemma again with our cable and internet service providers. Our current cable subscription gives us too many channels we don’t even get to watch and it doesn’t have the one I want (Playhouse Disney). But if I upgrade to get that, it’s too expensive. Plus, our internet provider sucks, even if it’s for free (thank you wifi router). Cable internet would definitely be great.

I won’t miss out anymore on Heroes, House MD, GG, Prisonbreak, or Grey’s. Right now it seems like I’m living in a cave. Haha.

Here, cable tv/internet service providers have yet to take advantage of these gimmicks. It’s not really a surprise though since a large part of the tv-watching population hasn’t hooked up to the cable networks yet. There have been some promos but not as big as this one from Charter. Oh well, research time.

WeSay, I say..

I’ve been paying more attention to my photography hobby lately so being part of good photography groups mean a lot. This is especially when I need to learn about more techniques and styles not just in taking photos but in post-processing too. (Lately Photoscape has been the answer to my Lomo-less situation, wink wink).

Sometimes though, it’s not enough to snap pictures of everything you see. Sometimes a landscape shot wouldn’t be as intersting without a context. Building a story through pictures is one subject that I love doing. I’ve done that in one of my LP entries, recycling my photo story plates back in college. I’ve really been leaning towards photoblogging lately. Pictures speak louder than words. WeSay.com is one such group that allows photo enthusiasts, even amateurs, to show what they’ve got through photo journalism.

I admit I’m not very good at this yet, but I am willing to learn. Joining a photo contest is a good chance to learn and challenge your usual way of doing (or photographing) things. When I joined the 100 Strangers Project it made me bolder to approach potential subjects. Joining WeSay’s photo contest will open your eyes even wider because of the Citizen Photojournalism challenge. You submit photos that make today’s news. It’s really that simple. It can be anywhere from road accidents to travel news to Obama and even to the weird and fascinating.

Try it, I am.

Free Crumpler Bags here!

Want this bag?

Buy:

24 CANS SAN MIGUEL PALE PILSEN
24 BOTTLES CORONA
2 BOTTLES OF BARBECUE SAUCE
3 BIG BAGS OF DORITOS

Then go to the Crumpler store at the Bonifacio High Street and exchange them for a bag.

I came across this crazy marketing ploy of Crumpler in Tina’s blog. Crumpler at the Bonifacio High Street is giving away free bags in exchange for beer cans and chibog. Click here for more details.

It’s crazy right? But it’s crazy it just might work. hehe. I’m thinking of just falling for it

Jack ‘n Jill’s treat for kids

and the kids at heart.

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Bring your little friends along and enjoy the new year at Fun Ranch with Jack ‘n Jill Chiz Curls! Fun Ranch is located inside Fronterra Verde in Pasig (beside Tiendesitas). Please pass this on to your friends and relatives!

Keep the Christmas fun and amusement rolling as Jack ‘n Jill Chiz Curls treats you and your family at Tom’s World and Fun House! Exchange your empty packs and get game/arcade tokens for FREE! Just don’t forget to bring your ID.

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Mind is running amok with ideas.

I’m just about ready tp plop down a comfy bed, curl up with a book, and have a good night’s rest. In the history of my happy-go-lucky, nothing-ever-fazes-me life, this is the first time I’ve been unbelievably busy. Organizing a party and looking for party rentals would’ve been easier. (Did you know that those dancing and floating men you commonly see at large events were called air tubes?) Work had been a wild but fun ride, save for a few people who just live for the reason of making your life more difficult. And yeah, I did have to look for air tubes and choose between them dancing men and giant inflatable party rentals. I mean who will want flying air tubes when there are water slide party rentals available? It’ll be great, except that I wasn’t planning Mia’s 2nd birthday party, but for clients’ store openings. Or, I could set up an entire theater experience, all in the convenience of renting it out courtesy of this company. That would surely make it a memorable opening day, and with our brands the highlight of the day. That’ll be the day. If I still had the job. Hehe.

Start with Dockers

Dockers has just opened a TV commercial contest for all film makers, whether digital, animation, or stock (but of course digital would be the best choice since it’s cheaper than stock film, unless of course you are rich — with sponsors, that is).

I remember back in college when my friends, who are mostly film majors, used to join short film contests. I used to envy them because that was their life’s work: to be a film maker who calls the shots. Now I call the shots but in another industry Anyway, you can tell how much contests like these can give exposure to up and coming names in the film and advertising industries.

Guess who directed (edited, scored, the terms go on) some of the award-winning local music videos, some acclaimed indie films, and many known commercials you see on TV? I’m proud to say my friends have really gone a long way. I could’ve been one of them but my fate was different. I was meant to be on the other end of the tube, watching their work

So, are you inspired to start somewhere now? All you need is a videocam, your creative juices, and time to burn. Of course, some money wouldn’t hurt, a few classes in respected schools (like mine, ahem. hehe), and crazy friends will definitely help. When you’ve rounded that up, join the Dockers contest and submit your video for a chance to win world renowned fame! No seriously, you get to be watched during the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC. Read the contest details here for more information. Here’s one really nice take on the Dockers SF clip.

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Socialspark-ing!

My personal wish list will probably make Charles Darwin very proud for its ability to evolve dramatically over the years. But even then, one thing remains constant in it. My wish list is always something I could afford IF I had the extra money or IF I had nothing to spend on but myself. Just a preview of what those are:

• Sony PSP slim
• Technomarine watch
• Mini tricycle or car for Mia
• Shopping spree at Rustan’s Department Store or at Toys ‘R Us
• Nokia Nseries phone

And all moms would probably want this one too:

• One whole day of pampering at the spa or the mall

So being the conscientious mommy that I am, I am on the constant lookout for ways to earn extra kaching for my and Mia’s simple pleasures. So after hearing about it from Izea, I readily signed up for SocialSpark, a social media marketing program for bloggers looking for a great way to earn, get lots of traffic, and get to know more bloggers in the same fields of interest.

What I like about SocialSpark is the availability of varying opportunities to blog about, something that other problogging programs are limited in. There are opps too that’s just for promoting other people’s sites, which is a great way to build social networks (and do I hear you saying it’s a way to earn more backlinks?). Moreover, SocialSpark is:

-100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure
-100% Transparency
-100% Real Opinions
-100% Search Engine Friendly

It’s definitely legit, no fuss, easy to understand, and newbie blogger-friendly. For stay/work-at-home moms, and even working mommas like me, it’s a no-lose opportunity. All you need is a computer, an internet connection, and time. I can’t wait to share it with my fellow moms over at SP.

Why don’t you check it out for yourself? Click here and let me know what you think!

WPP gives back contest

If you are a Pinoy blogger and are either:

• already using Wordpress as your blog’s platform and registered with Wordpress Pinoys, or
• already using Wordpress as your blog’s platform BUT are still not registered with WPP (in which case you should go and join us :)),

then this contest is for you! Prizes at stake are:

Grand winner: Free Domain Name and Hosting for one year. (Cpanel, FTP, Wordpress Installed)
1st runner up: Free 125×125 ad spots and 468×60 ad spots (one month)

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i had a dream and it was multicolored

a girl can dream, can’t she? my wishlist, which might just remain a wishlist if this blogging business doesn’t kick off soon.

i had a dream, and it was multicolor.

i was walking down the beach in cute flip flops, More »

Social Climbing Ever!

Please vote for me! (Poll is on the right-hand sidebar of reynaelena.com’s website; click on Iris).

Nakiki-social climb ako kay Reyna Elena, ang reyna ng mga social climbers ever! Move over, Gucci Gang! Sige na, click na para manalo ako ng condo unit — sa kingdom ni Reynz. haha.

I tried… to take pictures

Random Book Tag

I’ve been wrinkling my nose and scratching my head over what I got from Doc Claire’s book tag. I did all of these:

1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences. 5. Tag five people.

and got this from Og Mandino’s The Twelfth Angel (which isn’t even mine, but being a book magnet I had one in my office cube):

“Everyone was rooting for the little guy to get his first hit. He tried. Oh, how he tried!”

Maybe the fact that the book isn’t mine (it was left by a friend) would explain why it didn’t give me anything definite about my current status in life.

Or maybe it does, I just haven’t realized it yet. My first 2 attempts to answer this tag had stubborn love and murderous intent written all over them. It was pretty interesting.

Now, snag the tag those who want to!

New Photography Affiliations

I am discovering that I blog better when I take photos to go with my post. So now to force me to come up with really good ones, I joined Litratong Pinoy and Weekend Snapshots

LP is for Filipinos (whether you’re half- or full blooded) and non-Pinoys but you can speak or udnerstand Filipino who take photos professionally or not, and who would like to share their works and meet others of the same interest. The group posts photos every Thursday and displays their links to their photos in the site. Join na!

On the other hand, Weekend Snapshot is a group of photo enthusiasts all over the world that basically posts pictures of their weekend activities. Green Dip was my first entry to WS.

To read or not to read

One of my favorite websites (and stores) just got a new look.

Now I know not everyone appreciates reading as much as I do, but just let me rave over something that I reeeally love, which is reading.

I attribute to my mom my love for books. If not for her, I would not have learned to read at an early age (at about 3 years old i think), I would not have played pretend games where I was a newspaper editor/writer/publisher and that I wrote countless fictional news stories (complete with illustrations) on Grade 1 pad paper.

If she hadn’t spent enough time teaching me when I was a kid, I would not have had the patience to learn good english and be a good writer (well at least my mom and dad thinks I am) and speaker.

If not for my love of reading, I wouldn’t have known that Pisa is in Italy, Kilimanjaro is a volcano not a food, that Desire can be a person, that you can make a dish out of rose petals, or that Terry Pratchet is actually a guy. Well of course a lot of the information I’ve amassed over the years is partly due to television, but cable TV and the Discovery Channel was not uso back then.

Knowledge is power, as they say. What saddens me is that many kids and young people these days have developed an abhorrence for anything literary. It’s as if words suddenly become little gremlins with pitchfork tails and gleaming fangs. Or if they do read anything at all, they only read those 20-bucks-apiece romance novels or the Sunday paper’s comic strips.

Nothing wrong about reading those, but just those? I seriously doubt that they will get anything substantial from a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story full of lust, jealousy, and revenge. No offense to those who read it, but I don’t have to apologize for the way I think these things affect the minds of our youths, especially if they do not have the right kind of educational support system.

Ok, so my point is, to those parents with children starting to read and explore the literary world, let them discover with you the right kinds of reading material. If you as a parent, think that a certain type will help in the emotional, psychological, or spiritual development of your child then go for it.

I’m glad my parents encouraged me to read (newspapers yeah, but I remember nothing about the violence and crime thank goodness) and write. But I’m more thankful that they were guiding me all throughout my learning.

weirder

i don’t know which is weirder.

that i found a confessional blog of a pinoy serial killer

or,

that i went shopping for some baby stuff — with my ex-boyfriend, for his baby.

haha.

poke ‘em

i always knew how to play cards, but to bet at them is not really my thing. for one thing, it’s virtually unheard of for a girl to join her titos at a round of tong-its, puffing cigarettes, knocking back a shot, and slapping down a 50 peso bill on the table. i mean, that’s just really un-lady like.

but i learned poker eventually because my line of work before is male-dominated and i guess that would mean i’m getting more than i bargained for, and liked it. i mean i really enjoyed it. it’s a game of bluff and negotiation that i think people in my profession should be masters of. or at least we’re expected to be good at it.

what i can’t bring myself to do though, is to bet large amounts of money on the table in this game. my friends who taught me the game would put in P500 at a time. i think if they knew that poker is played online now they’d be hooked on it in no time. the best online poker rooms are mostly found and reviewed here, so that makes it even more appealing to guys who take betting seriously. you can make or break fortunes here, you know, and knowing the games you’re good at hikes your chances more. really, it’s also a game of strategy. knowing your environment (in this case, which online casino rooms) is also included in the art of war.

but i wouldn’t bet on myself winning in an online casino though. i suck at luck. :p

“i am the seventh wonder of the world”

says the Tubbataha Reef. kala niyo ako nagsabi no? hindi pa naman ako ganon ka-vain.

as support for the Philippines’ entries to the new 7 wonders of the world i am voting for this awesome wonder of the world.

ooh, barracuda!

vote na (click on the topmost image). imagine, nasa 29th place palang siya. it’s one of the best diving spots and most well preserved coral reefs. it should be recognized by the entire world. hindi lang ang ating singing prowess dapat ang kilala.

and while you’re at it, vote na din for Mayon Volcano and the Chocolate Hills.

by the way, how do you like my new theme?

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Photos courtesy of:

http://www.pbase.com/kleine

http://www.tourism.gov.ph/